Published: Thursday, August 21, 2014 at 6:01 a.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, August 20, 2014 at 10:59 p.m.

The Gainesville Police Department received a new set of wheels that has the capability to resist gunfire and mine blasts.

But don't expect the vehicle to prowl the streets unless the department has exhausted a long list of alternatives.

GPD and other agencies across North Central Florida adopted policies to use as little resistance as possible to handle massive impromptu gatherings such as protests or celebrations, and the fleet of available vehicles are deployed only if circumstances warrant them.

“That's the very last resort, and it's something we definitely don't like to do,” GPD spokesman Officer Ben Tobias said. “It all goes back to the relationship we have with the community.

“That takes away from the trust we've built up, and it's a long road to get it back.”

News in January that the High Springs Police Department had acquired a Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle similar to the one adopted last month by GPD had local community leaders wondering how much gear is too much for police. That argument was recently resurrected with images from Ferguson, Missouri, of police officers in flak jackets confronting protesters while aboard war-grade armored vehicles.

“It just seems like those vehicles should be in a war and not patrolling the street,” said Evelyn Foxx, president of the Alachua County branch of the NAACP.

Foxx said she understood that local law enforcement uses military-grade equipment to protect officers from dangerous situations but hopes the policies that govern their use are crystal clear.

“We want our law enforcement protected, but we need to see what the protocol is,” Foxx said.

The Alachua County Sheriff's Office carries the largest fleet of armored vehicles and an arsenal of tools as a member of a regional task force mostly footed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Among the most notable vehicles provided with federal dollars are a Bearcat armored personnel carrier and a heavily armored front-end loader known as a Rook, which was paid with money forfeited during drug busts and was designed by Alachua County Sheriff's Deputy and former SWAT team member Jeremy Eckdahl.

Before he developed the Rook, the sheriff's special teams entered buildings armed only with shields that covered part of the body.

“I wanted to be able to cover everything I could,” Eckdahl said. “I noticed more than a few situations where I felt like there had to be something different.”

In September 2012, Alachua deputies were called to Lake City, where a heavily armed man had barricaded himself in a home and shot three police officers.

The city about 50 miles away from Gainesville relies on the Alachua County Sheriff's Office for its armored fleet under the federal task force. The city's police department, with roughly 50 officers, carries only riot gear, which consists of helmets and shields.

“We have a number of agencies that surround us that are willing to help when we need it,” said Lake City Police Department spokesman Craig Strickland, adding that the department regularly relies on Alachua deputies as dictated by the federal task force. “When we had three officers shot, this place was on lockdown.”

One piece of equipment that played a supporting role in the Lake City case was the Rook, which tore down a wall of the home where the man hid and revealed he had committed suicide. A grenade was found in his possession.

“We need to be safe in order to protect and serve,” Darnell said. “The range of experience over decades of law enforcement shows us that we need to have certain types of equipment in order to be prepared and safely respond so that we can serve our citizens.

“We don't know what we don't know, and we pretty much have to be prepared for everything.”

Darnell also said the decision on whether to use armored forces is not taken lightly, and even calls for help from smaller agencies are first answered by deputies who rush to assess the scene before summoning armored resources.

“I am very discreet in our use, and our approach is a very calm and methodical, everyone comes out safe, approach,” she said. “That includes people we're trying to rescue.”

Darnell suggested that people wait for the facts in high-profile cases such as the Ferguson Police-involved shooting of Michael Brown before passing judgment.

“This is in general, but there are too many situations where misinformation gets ahead of the truth,” she said. “And the truth never catches up to that misrepresentation.”

Gainesville's role as home to two major post-secondary institutions makes it a prime candidate for civil unrest.

For instance, in 2012, Dove World Outreach Center Pastor Terry Jones burned a Quran to protest the imprisonment in Iran of a Christian clergyman. The incident could have easily turned for the worse, and if so, law enforcement would have been equipped to handle it, Darnell said.

“I don't think Gainesville should be exempt from the need to protect human life,” said Pastor Kevin Thorpe, who also is a candidate for Alachua County Commission. “We're in a position to attract those kinds of possibilities, and if they happen, we need to be prepared.”

Political protests or street celebrations are generally first met with the lowest level of law enforcement possible, and any increase in officers is dictated by the mood of the crowd, sources said. If possible, University of Florida police will reach out to organizers before a demonstration takes place.

“One of our primary objectives is to conduct outreach before the activities to establish positive relationships,” said Maj. Brad Barber, a UF Police Department spokesman. “We try to understand their objectives and accommodate them the best we can.”

If control over an event deteriorates, UF police also carry a small variety of tear gas delivery systems and a beanbag shotgun, which are deployed alongside crowd control officers from the Sheriff's Office and GPD.

Other items purchased by GPD through a federal military surplus program include 30 rifles assigned to a critical response group that assists the SWAT team, a helicopter and four pairs of night-vision goggles. The armored carrier that recently was purchased by the department from the military surplus program for $2,000 will replace an old armored bank truck in use by the SWAT team.

“The public expects us to be prepared to protect them in the worst-case scenario,” Tobias wrote in an email, later adding the department's armored vehicle was bought used. “To protect Gainesville from dangerous, violent criminals.”

<p>The Gainesville Police Department received a new set of wheels that has the capability to resist gunfire and mine blasts.</p><p>But don't expect the vehicle to prowl the streets unless the department has exhausted a long list of alternatives.</p><p>GPD and other agencies across North Central Florida adopted policies to use as little resistance as possible to handle massive impromptu gatherings such as protests or celebrations, and the fleet of available vehicles are deployed only if circumstances warrant them.</p><p>“That's the very last resort, and it's something we definitely don't like to do,” GPD spokesman Officer Ben Tobias said. “It all goes back to the relationship we have with the community.</p><p>“That takes away from the trust we've built up, and it's a long road to get it back.”</p><p>News in January that the High Springs Police Department had acquired a Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle similar to the one adopted last month by GPD had local community leaders wondering how much gear is too much for police. That argument was recently resurrected with images from Ferguson, Missouri, of police officers in flak jackets confronting protesters while aboard war-grade armored vehicles.</p><p>“It just seems like those vehicles should be in a war and not patrolling the street,” said Evelyn Foxx, president of the Alachua County branch of the NAACP.</p><p>Foxx said she understood that local law enforcement uses military-grade equipment to protect officers from dangerous situations but hopes the policies that govern their use are crystal clear.</p><p>“We want our law enforcement protected, but we need to see what the protocol is,” Foxx said.</p><p>The Alachua County Sheriff's Office carries the largest fleet of armored vehicles and an arsenal of tools as a member of a regional task force mostly footed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.</p><p>Among the most notable vehicles provided with federal dollars are a Bearcat armored personnel carrier and a heavily armored front-end loader known as a Rook, which was paid with money forfeited during drug busts and was designed by Alachua County Sheriff's Deputy and former SWAT team member Jeremy Eckdahl.</p><p>Before he developed the Rook, the sheriff's special teams entered buildings armed only with shields that covered part of the body.</p><p>“I wanted to be able to cover everything I could,” Eckdahl said. “I noticed more than a few situations where I felt like there had to be something different.”</p><p>In September 2012, Alachua deputies were called to Lake City, where a heavily armed man had barricaded himself in a home and shot three police officers.</p><p>The city about 50 miles away from Gainesville relies on the Alachua County Sheriff's Office for its armored fleet under the federal task force. The city's police department, with roughly 50 officers, carries only riot gear, which consists of helmets and shields.</p><p>“We have a number of agencies that surround us that are willing to help when we need it,” said Lake City Police Department spokesman Craig Strickland, adding that the department regularly relies on Alachua deputies as dictated by the federal task force. “When we had three officers shot, this place was on lockdown.”</p><p>One piece of equipment that played a supporting role in the Lake City case was the Rook, which tore down a wall of the home where the man hid and revealed he had committed suicide. A grenade was found in his possession.</p><p>Alachua County Sheriff Sadie Darnell said that, like GPD, strict procedures govern when armored equipment is deployed.</p><p>“We need to be safe in order to protect and serve,” Darnell said. “The range of experience over decades of law enforcement shows us that we need to have certain types of equipment in order to be prepared and safely respond so that we can serve our citizens.</p><p>“We don't know what we don't know, and we pretty much have to be prepared for everything.”</p><p>Darnell also said the decision on whether to use armored forces is not taken lightly, and even calls for help from smaller agencies are first answered by deputies who rush to assess the scene before summoning armored resources.</p><p>“I am very discreet in our use, and our approach is a very calm and methodical, everyone comes out safe, approach,” she said. “That includes people we're trying to rescue.”</p><p>Darnell suggested that people wait for the facts in high-profile cases such as the Ferguson Police-involved shooting of Michael Brown before passing judgment.</p><p>“This is in general, but there are too many situations where misinformation gets ahead of the truth,” she said. “And the truth never catches up to that misrepresentation.”</p><p>Gainesville's role as home to two major post-secondary institutions makes it a prime candidate for civil unrest.</p><p>For instance, in 2012, Dove World Outreach Center Pastor Terry Jones burned a Quran to protest the imprisonment in Iran of a Christian clergyman. The incident could have easily turned for the worse, and if so, law enforcement would have been equipped to handle it, Darnell said.</p><p>“I don't think Gainesville should be exempt from the need to protect human life,” said Pastor Kevin Thorpe, who also is a candidate for Alachua County Commission. “We're in a position to attract those kinds of possibilities, and if they happen, we need to be prepared.”</p><p>Political protests or street celebrations are generally first met with the lowest level of law enforcement possible, and any increase in officers is dictated by the mood of the crowd, sources said. If possible, University of Florida police will reach out to organizers before a demonstration takes place.</p><p>“One of our primary objectives is to conduct outreach before the activities to establish positive relationships,” said Maj. Brad Barber, a UF Police Department spokesman. “We try to understand their objectives and accommodate them the best we can.”</p><p>If control over an event deteriorates, UF police also carry a small variety of tear gas delivery systems and a beanbag shotgun, which are deployed alongside crowd control officers from the Sheriff's Office and GPD.</p><p>Other items purchased by GPD through a federal military surplus program include 30 rifles assigned to a critical response group that assists the SWAT team, a helicopter and four pairs of night-vision goggles. The armored carrier that recently was purchased by the department from the military surplus program for $2,000 will replace an old armored bank truck in use by the SWAT team.</p><p>“The public expects us to be prepared to protect them in the worst-case scenario,” Tobias wrote in an email, later adding the department's armored vehicle was bought used. “To protect Gainesville from dangerous, violent criminals.”</p>